Clarksville, Ark.-For the third straight season, Robby Finnell was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Baseball Team, it was announced on Thursday.
Finnell, a senior designated hitter, earned a spot on the 2008 All-District VI First Team. The political science major, along with the other All-District First Team members from eight national districts, will have their nominations forwarded to the national ballot, from which student-athletes will be selected as Academic All-Americans.
The 6-foot-1, 210-pound native of Tulsa, Okla., became the school career leader in number of offensive categories following a productive 2008 season. He is the career leader in home runs (31), RBI (159), games played (162), runs (131), hits (189), doubles (31), triples (8), total bases (329), walks (73) and hit by pitch (42). He owns a .348 career batting average, tenth-best at Ozarks and a .606 career slugging percentage, fourth-best at Ozarks. Finnell earned All-Conference honors three times in his career.
Currently, he ranks fourth in the ASC in RBI (56) and slugging percentage (.784), fifth in home runs (13) and tenth in total bases (109) and on-base percentage (.486). His 56 RBI broke his own single-season school record from a year ago. In his best game of the season, Finnell went 4-for-5 with a homer, three doubles and 7 RBI against East Texas Baptist on March 10.
ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VI Baseball Team for the college division recognizes outstanding NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and NAIA student-athletes from the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. To be eligible for Academic All-America honors, student-athletes must be a starter with legitimate athletic achievements and maintain at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average for his career.
Topics: Athletics